PrintRoundTable

Why a Simple Asset Tag Label Can Save You Future Headaches

Filed under Custom Labels

Any company who has product inventory, computers, printers, desks, appliances, phones and other expensive items realizes that items have a tendency of getting misplaced, or in some cases stolen, from the office.  For insurance purposes, and even just item verification, asset tags will save a company the time and expense so they can keep track of their items. Asset tags have been around for a while now.  They are a simple little label that is either barcoded, numbered, or both, with your company information, so you can keep track of an item within the office.  Not only do they come in a variety of sizes, they also come in materials to best suit your business.  For instance, if you are labeling high dollar items, such as computers, you may want to invest in a destructible material as you cannot pull off the label without destroying it. This keeps someone from removing the label and applying it to a different computer.  There is a material for every item you could possibly want to tag.  From an asset label material that is applied on semi-oily metals, to a material that leaves the word “VOID” when you peel off the label, there isn’t a product you can’t use these on. The main reason a company wants to invest in asset tags is to track products and inventory.  If you have many products, adding a barcode, and/or human readable number so you can scan the item may make things go much faster.  If you have a limited quantity of items to track, then a simple label with a number works fine.  Most companies have the option of customizing your number scheme as well. You can upload an excel spreadsheet with the numbers you want to barcode, or print, and print those numbers.  This is particularly helpful if you already have a specific numbering system in place and want to stay with that instead of starting over.  Adding the information to an excel sheet with all pertinent information is a great way to track your assets.  And in the event that you happen to need to file an insurance claim, or worse a police report, then you have a record that shows this inventoried item to help provide a paper trail. Keeping track of your assets is essential to any business.  It is worth the investment, and time, to invest in these little asset labels and inventory everything.  This way you always know everything you have, and know what you need to insure and protect.

Branding Your Merchandise with Product Labels

Filed under Custom Labels

Companies use branding every day to get their message out to the world.  They develop a logo that gets put on their letterhead, business cards, envelopes and forms.  However, many businesses forget one great place to add their logo, and that is right on a label. Most companies use all sorts of labels on a day to day basis, but many forget that they can truly customize them with their branded information to get more advertising power for their buck.  For example, it is very simple to toss samples into an envelope with you company information at the upper right.  But going one step further and adding an eye-popping label saying “samples enclosed”, “catalog enclosed”, or whatever you are sending makes your company stand out.  Product labels may be the single most important label you create, and are another way to grab a customer’s attention. Your products speak volumes about your business and a professionally designed label gains more trust, attention and sales than one that is plain with limited information.  When branding your product, the label itself needs the most time and attention, because that is what the customer is purchasing. There are so many material choices out there, how do you know which product label is right for your business? There are some basic questions you need to consider when choosing your label: *Are they hand applied or machine applied? *What kind of surface is the label being applied to and what environment will they be in? This is very important in determining what type of label material and adhesive to choose.  You don’t want a paper label on a jar that will go in the refrigerator or it may come off. The company that is making your labels will need to know this information to give you the best possible labels. *What colors need to be on your label? If your business has many colors or photos on the label, then a four color process label is best.  However, if you have a simple logo, one and two spot colors may be more cost effective. *Which way do you want your copy oriented on your label, and what is the unwind direction?  This will determine the positioning of your information on the label, and if machine applied, how they will be applied. Creating custom labels should be a fun, rewarding experience.  Take your time to choose what style, and type, is right for your business.  Don’t focus on the total cost of the project, which may seem very overwhelming; instead center on the cost per each label to factor your entire unit price. Product labels reflect your corporate image and are created to showcase the items you want to sell to your customers. And they will leave a lasting impression on customers for years to come.  

Using Integrated Labels to Improve Your Shipping Process

Filed under Custom Labels , Distribution Label Solutions , General

More companies are discovering the secret to simplifying their shipping process with integrated labels. Integrated labels have been around for a while and businesses large and small are utilizing their great ability to save cost, time and costly quality assurance issues. To determine if it is worth switching to an integrated labeling solution, a business needs to evaluate how much it costs to ship out a package with their current method.  Calculating the time it takes to apply the label and packing slip is very important as well.  Paying an employee to handle the shipping label and packing list is a time involved process.  Even if you save 15-20 seconds per carton, you have just improved productivity getting more cartons out the door.  This alone will save you money over time. Quality assurance is an area that deserves attention.  When a line worker has to match a packing slip with a box with a shipping label, it is easy to see how errors can occur.  And unfortunately, these errors cost both time and money.  The sheer number of staff to figure out an error, after it occurs, can stretch over several shipments. This means unhappy employees and, more importantly, unhappy customers. The integrated label is great as the shipping label and packing list can be on one form, reducing errors and reducing the time it takes just to match everything up.  Many businesses have decided to stop adding the packing list to the outside of the carton, and put it inside instead.  This makes an integrated label that much better!  Just peel off the shipping label, drop the packing list in the box, and then apply the shipping label.  That easy! There are many different styles of integrated shipping forms that are available right off the shelf, giving you the ability to customize your form from start to finish.  This is perfect for the companies who change things up often on their packing slips.  For some businesses, the cost of toner alone is enough to go with pre-printed forms. Basic information such as company logo, and fields that show on all forms, are printed right on the form and then ran through their printer saving on overall toner costs.  And even with all of the options out there, maybe a company has a special application and the label structure does not work for them.  This is another instance where going with a custom printed integrated label may be worth the cost. However, regardless of stock or custom, integrated labels can be a great addition to your shipping process. It is definitely worth the time to see if they fit into your business model.

Patient Sign In Sheets – Not just for Medical Offices Anymore

Filed under Custom Labels , Medical Products

Patient Sign-In sheets are a doctor’s office staple.  They help maintain patient privacy by allowing the receptionist or nurse to call out a number rather than a name.  Patient privacy label sheets also give the office a list of who has signed in that day maintaining accurate records.  Not to mention that they are very easy to use.  The client comes in, signs the form/label patient sign in sheet form, and peels off the little number to the left.  The receptionist peels off the actual name and arrival time to place on the persons chart…it’s that simple. It used to be that only doctor’s offices utilized this type of form.  But with confidentiality a top priority among providers and consumers alike, there has been a shift on who now uses patient sign in forms.  Spas, daycare centers, hospitals/urgent care facilities, dentist offices, chiropractors, as well as doctor’s offices are using these forms.  And although you can buy patient sign in forms pre-printed and ready to use, many businesses are customizing their form for their specific business.  For instance, instead of having the word “patient” on the form, they either delete it entirely or change the word to best suit their business.  Some businesses even change the color of the form or add a logo to the top.  The one downside to custom versions of patient sign in forms can be the cost and volume.  If you don’t order a large amount of forms, the price may be slightly higher depending on the customization involved. When looking for a sign-in solution for your business, don’t dismiss patient sign in sheets because you think they might not fit in your industry.  Check out the cost of customization and see how they can work for you. They are a great way to stay HIPAA compliant and save your staff time.      

Keep Track of All of Your Business Property With Asset Tags

Filed under Custom Labels , Distribution Label Solutions

Businesses who have a large amount of property may struggle keeping track of it all.  Sometimes items get lost.  Sometimes they get destroyed.  And even sometimes things just “walk away”.  Having an asset labeling system in place to keep track of valuables is essential for any business.  Not just for keeping costs down, but also for insurance and investigation purposes. Asset tags come in many materials, sizes and colors to fit any business.  Because they are very simple, there is no need to pay a graphic designer to design the label.  Most just have your company name, and at the very most, a logo, but that is optional.  As for materials, here are some common choices:  * Polyester-2 mil-Metalized Matte Silver is resistant to heat, stretch, tearing and abrasion. Great for identifying computers, laptops, cell phones, and office items. This material is also well suited to industrial applications where label may be subjected to physical stress or heat. They are however not suitable for the backs of printed circuit boards where label is applied over electrical contacts.  *Polyester-2 mil-Gloss White  material is resistant to heat, tearing, abrasion, and stretch. Common applications are the same as the Matte Silver poly only white instead of silver. *LexValu Plus™ 10 mil White is resistant to heat, tearing, excessive abrasion, and stretch. Great for power boxes and tools, construction equipment, and industrial items that are subject to physical stress. UV resistant polypropylene protective coating has an embossed velvet finish that is ultra-durable. Adhesive is one of the best available for semi-oily metals and Low Surface Energy (LSE) plastics. Best for flat, smooth surfaces.  *Vinyl-Destructible Reflective 7 mil-White is a great material when your asset tags requires tamper resistant protection. Once applied, this vinyl cannot be removed in one piece. Conforms well to corrugated or moderately irregular surfaces. Back surface is silverized so  material is very opaque. One of the longest lived outdoor vinyls. Perfect for labeling computers, laptops, cell phones, furniture and office items. *Security Polyester-2 mil-Silver is used when your asset tags requires tamper resistant protection. Once removed from the equipment, the label will leave the word VOID on both the applied surface and the material and cannot be reapplied. Best for flat, smooth surfaces. These work perfect for labeling phones, computers, laptops, and office items. Businesses also have the flexibility of choosing barcoding, numbering or both on their labels.  It can be much easier for a company that has thousands of items to scan a barcode as opposed to looking up a number for tracking purposed.  As well as it might be easier, and more cost effective for a smaller company to just use a number on their asset tags and keep track in an excel spreadsheet.  You can also customize your label with a specific number sequence.  This is very helpful if you already have a system in place, and want to keep your numbers consistent. Asset tags are a great way to keep track of your inventoried items.  With all of the choices, benefits, and cost savings they have to offer, it is well worth the investment to have these little labels on hand. They may save you money in the long run!  

Duplex Shipping Labels - The Newest Distribution Label Solution

Filed under Custom Labels , Distribution Label Solutions

  Manufacturers and distributors ask themselves the same question over and over ”How can I ship products faster, easier and more cost efficiently?”  The duplex shipping label may be the answer everyone is looking for.  It actually cuts down on the amount of material needed for creating mailing labels and packing lists, and will save money. Here is how it works. A duplex shipping label comes in two sizes 8.5 x 5.5” and 8.5 x 11”. They can run through a duplex laser printer, and more recently, you can now run them through a duplex thermal printer. The shipping label information is printed on the front of the form and the packing list is printed on the back.  No need to print one side first and then the other.  Also, no need to match up a packing list with a shipping label.  Because they are both printed on the same label, all you have to do is remove the outside label matrix and affix to the shipping container.  No need for a plastic pouch to hold the packing slip and no mis-matching mistakes, which saves money. Besides costs, these types of inclusive labels can also save time for a business, which can also add up to actual money being saved. Duplex shipping labels aren't very popular in the current shipping industry because they are not widely known. Most businesses have a distribution label solution already in place. However, once a business learns about the perks of saving time and money (thus improving productivity and employee satisfaction), it may convince the business leaders to switch over to duplex shipping labels in their shipping warehouses. Besides leading to positive effects for employees and managers, a business may find that the customers will also appreciate these types of custom mailing labels. It makes the packing list easier to find and often prevents folding or damage to the list, which is sometimes crucial for customers to keep. Many customers may save packing lists for their own financial records, so having these arrive in good condition is the best way to make sure records are kept neat and in order. Even if a business isn't sure about incorporating them into their regular shipping processes, ordering one carton or box of duplex shipping labels to try out may convince them that this label is worthwhile for continuous use. It may not be for every business if you have an automated system in place; however, for the small to medium size businesses, or those who need to manually affix a shipping label/packing slip, the duplex shipping label will no doubt be an asset.   duplexShippingLabel.jpg (15.74 kb)

Utilizing Asset Tags for Business

Filed under Custom Labels

More and more businesses are getting separate technology components for each of their employees. Many employees now have company-sponsored iPhones and other smartphones, laptops, printers, tablets, and other various pieces of technology that can be quite costly. To help keep track of all these separate pieces of technology, asset tags are a necessity. An asset tag adheres to the technology (usually on the back or the bottom) and usually contains a unique barcode and identification number. These unique identifiers are kept track of via computer software. They tie the technology component with the employee that it is given to. Once an employee leaves the company, the technology can be "checked in" (much like a library book) until another employee comes along that needs it. Inventory labels such as asset tags also allow companies to identify a piece of technology as their own property. Should it ever become lost or stolen, the asset tag can help facilitate recovery. Asset tags come in a variety of sizes and colors and do not usually interfere with the mechanisms and working of the technology component they are placed on. Before ordering asset tags, be sure to measure the device area where it will be adhered and make sure it won't be blocking any vents, switches, or other working pieces of the device. For devices of various sizes, it may be necessary to order different sizes of asset tags. Organizing these by a specific color may be helpful in the tagging and organization process. It may also help prevent fraud. For example, if a small green asset tag is for tablets and then a larger red tag is used for laptops, the presiding IT employee will know something isn't correct if they notice a green tag on a laptop. This may be due to human error but will help prevent stealing and fraud as well. Asset tags also come in destructable and security materials for added protection.  

Custom Mailing Labels for Shipping Facilities

Filed under Custom Labels

Custom shipping labels come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and even colors for the wide variety of uses that a business may need. It is important to make sure that the custom mailing labels being ordered are the best size and have the right features for the shipping facility or warehouse that will be using them. For instance, if a shipping warehouse only uses one size of box, then it makes sense to only get the one size of custom shipping labels (such as fold under labels) that will fit properly on the box. However, if a business ships their products or orders in a wide variety of sizes of boxes or packaging, then different-sized labels need to be ordered. Having the right size for boxes that are processed at shipping facilities do more than just "look right". They also help cut down on processing times (employees and/or machines don't have to force a label to fit or apply it perfectly so it doesn't fall off) and may eventually cut down on costs because small labels may be a lesser cost, therefore reducing large inventory and waste. Ordering the custom shipping labels for a shipping facility has several steps, the first being measuring the dimensions of all the boxes used and then comparing them to the available custom mailing label sizes. Next, shipping and processing numbers need to be reviewed-- how many labels need to be ordered initially to make sure that a warehouse stays in-stock for a pre-determined amount of time? Once these figures are ironed out, it's time to order the labels. Many online printing service companies will require a minimum order, so that needs to be accounted for, as well as how many labels are in each box and the overall cost of the labels. Comparing prices will ensure that a company gets the best deal.  

Initializing Integrated Labels in the Shipping Process

Filed under Custom Labels

Integrated labels can be a great new product to start using in the original shipping process at a shipping warehouse or even a busy business office. No matter the needs and amount of shipping label form, like integrated labels, are needed, becoming smarter about the shipping processes by using products that can save time and money are always worth looking into.   Before ordering a minimum order of integrated labels, it may be worth asking for a sample from the printing service that the company is going to order from, like My1Stop.com. In most cases, a customer service representative or salesperson will be happy to send out a sample of an integrated label so the company can make sure that they like the look and feel of the product before deciding to order it to use regularly in their place of business.   Once it's decided that integrated labels can be used to replace a traditional shipping label form, the online order should be placed. After the labels are received, the company will need to train all the employees that deal with the shipping process or printing the labels on how to utilize them correctly. Proper training initially will ensure that the adoption of the new labels will be eased into the daily shipping and packaging process much easier.   During the initial adoption process, one supervisor or employee (or a group, depending on the size of the company) should be designated as training experts. Other employees with questions on the use of the integrated labels can ask these extensively-trained experts, which may be better able to help than a fellow employee with is also learning the new product at the same time. Employees are usually also more comfortable with new products if they know there are knowledgeable colleagues who can help them as they learn and get acquainted with the new labels.      

Designing Custom Labels With Other Marketing Materials

Filed under Custom Labels

Custom labels are great options to use on promotional and mailing materials (along with on products themselves) because they are usually available in a variety of shapes and sizes, and even some are full color labels. This is great news to marketers and advertising specialists within a company, as they can design a custom label suite to go with their overall marketing material design and campaign. Label printing can usually be done in conjunction with other marketing material printing, depending on the company and what materials are needed. Having an overall cohesive look that flows from the flyers, to the products, and then the custom labels, can look a lot more professional and create a longer-lasting impression on the intended audience and consumer base. In order to make sure the custom labels are in line with the design of the other marketing materials, be sure to have the designer use the exact same colors (finding these out is simple with the Eyedropper tool on Photoshop) and have the same design elements. Similar design elements that should be included are any logos or strong lines or graphic art that is featured on other marketing materials or the actual products. Because most people will identify the strongest parts of the design first, these are what should be absolutely included into any design elements of all the surrounding marketing materials. If these include clip art or custom illustrations, these are usually relatively easy to re-size or copy over to a new design template from the previous initial marketing material design. If a company isn't sure how to blend their existing marketing material designs with a new custom label order, hiring a graphic designer or working with a designer at the label printing service is the best way to ensure that the label matches the overall design efforts of the marketing campaign.